A tensioning device is used to control a closed loop power transmission system, such as a chain, as the chain travels between a plurality of sprockets which are connected to the operating shafts of an internal combustion engine. In this system, the chain transmits power from a driving shaft to at least one driven shaft, such as a camshaft, so that, at any point in time, part of the chain might be slack while part is tight. It is important to impart and maintain a certain degree of tension on the chain to prevent noise, slippage, or the unmeshing of teeth as in the case of a toothed chain drive system. Prevention of such slippage is particularly important in the case of a chain driven camshaft of an internal combustion engine because the jumping of teeth from the camshaft sprockets will throw off engine cam timing, possibly causing damage to the engine or rendering it totally inoperative.
In the harsh environment of the internal combustion engine, numerous factors cause fluctuations in tension along any given portion of the chain at any time in its rotational cycle. For instance, extreme temperature fluctuations and differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion between various components of the engine can cause tension on the chain to rapidly alternate between high and low levels. Further, after prolonged use, wear to the components of the power transmission system results in a progressive decrease in chain tension. In addition, camshaft and crankshaft induced torsional vibrations cause considerable variations in chain tension. For example, the reverse rotation of an engine, such as that which occurs during stopping of the engine or in failed attempts at starting the engine, can also cause significant fluctuations in chain tension. For these reasons, a mechanism is desired to remove excessive tensioning forces on the tight side of the chain while, at the same time, ensuring that adequate tension is applied to the slack side of the chain.
Hydraulic tensioners are a known device for maintaining proper chain tension. In general, these mechanisms employ a lever arm that pushes against the chain on the slack side of the power transmission system. Hydraulic pressure urges a piston against the lever arm, which in turn, forcibly engages the chain to tighten it during slack conditions.
Blade spring tensioners are also commonly used to control a chain or belt where load fluctuations are not so severe as to overly stress the springs. A conventional blade spring tensioner includes a blade shoe having a curved chain sliding surface which maintains contact with the strand of chain with which it is engaged. To increase the amount of tensioning force applied to the chain, at least one blade spring is installed between the blade shoe and the chain sliding surface. A bracket houses the blade shoe and the chain sliding surface. The bracket is securely mounted to the engine by bolts, rivets or other such means. There may be only one mounting means which would allow the bracket to pivot in response to changing tension loads. The pivot point may be at either end of the bracket or in the middle, as required. Alternatively, the bracket may be securely mounted to the engine by two or more mounting means which effectively prevents any pivoting movement of the tensioner. In any case, the mounting means are located adjacent the strand of chain with which the tensioner is engaged. Often, the mounting means are located outside of chain loop itself.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art chain drive system having a blade tensioner and a guide. A closed loop chain 8 encircles driving sprocket 12 and driven sprocket 10. Each sprocket 10 and 12 accelerates and decelerates independently while maintaining forward motion. A fixed guide 14 is attached to a bracket 7 on the tight strand of the chain. Opposite the guide 14 on the slack strand of the chain is a tensioner 16, which is at least semi-rigidly fixed to the bracket 7 and is biased towards the tight strand of chain. Bolts 18 fasten the bracket containing the tensioner 16 and the guide 14 to the engine block (not shown).
When the driving sprocket 12 accelerates or the driven sprocket 10 decelerates, an energy wave or high local load is created in the tight strand of the chain, which travels from the sprocket that has changed in velocity toward the other sprocket. The chain 8 attempts to span the distance between the portion of the chain in contact with the initiating sprocket to the other sprocket in the shortest possible distance, that being a straight line. The energy moves through the links on the free strand of the chain until it comes to the end of the guide 14, which absorbs the energy. As a result of the constant absorption of the high local load, the ends of guide 14 sustain significant wear. The energy wave can also be present and provide the same result as if it were to have originated in the slack strand. However, the effects of these energy waves may not occur at all depending on how well the tensioner keeps the slack out of the chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,470 discloses a tensioner that includes a pair of pivoting arms used to simultaneously tension two separate strands of the same chain. A lever with fixed pins is located between the two strands. The arms are pivotally mounted to the fixed pins and extend outside the strands of the chain. They contain shoes that contact the outside portion of the chain. Rotation of the lever causes the fixed pins to move laterally and draw in the arms to simultaneously impart tension to the separate strands of chain.
Referring to FIG. 2, a chain tensioner assembly as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0085322A1 is shown. The chain tensioner assembly consists of a tensioner 116 and a chain guide 114, both of which are secured to a bracket 136. The tensioner 116 engages one strand of chain 108 while the chain guide 114 engages the other strand of the chain. The bracket is pivotally mounted to the engine housing at a pivot point 120 which is located in hole 128 between the two strands of the chain and along the centerline that is formed between the central axis of the driving sprocket 112 and the central axis of the driven sprocket 110. The bracket is allowed to pivot about the pivot point 120 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in response to either slack or tight tension conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,482 discloses a tensioner for the accessory drive system on the outside of the engine. It consists of a pulley located on one end of a pivot arm that is biased toward the drive belt by a torsion spring. The tensioner also contains a one-way clutch coupled with a friction clutch. The pivot arm is biased to move in the direction of the belt, but is prevented from freely retracting until a predetermined torque is reached on the friction clutch. The pulley is only allowed to move away from the belt when the tension on the belt exceeds the combination of the force of the torsion spring and the predetermined torque of the friction clutch.
Similar to the '482 patent, U.S. Patent publication 2005/0059518 A1 discloses an asymmetrical belt tensioner that provides damping when either increased or reduced belt tension occurs. The ability to adjust to either condition is made possible by using a one-way clutch which enables movement in only one direction toward the belt. However, when a certain high level of belt tension occurs, the force of a frictional damper is overcome, thus allowing movement away from the belt.
A typical closed loop chain drive power transmission system will have one strand that is tight most of the time during operation while the other strand is correspondingly slack. The prior art tensioners noted above have addressed this situation by placing a tensioning device in contact with the strand that is predominantly slack while merely placing a guide element adjacent the tight strand. These devices are not capable of providing a smooth transition from the predominant tension condition to the opposite tension condition in which the tight strand becomes slack and the slack strand becomes tight. It is desirable to have a tensioner that can smoothly adjust to a reversal in the predominant tension condition of the chain so that a balanced tension is experienced by both strands consistently throughout the entire chain system.